Summary of Highlights Tompkins County Spring, 2017

Transcription

1 Communities that Care Youth Survey Summary of Highlights Tompkins County Spring, 2017 Community Coalition for Healthy Youth Tompkins County Youth Services Dept. In fall,, 3,960 students in grades 7-12 in fifteen Tompkins County public schools completed the Communities that Care Youth Survey. This represents a response rate of 81%. For most schools, this was the fifth time they participated in the biannual survey, allowing for time-trend analysis since. There is good news in terms of how well our Tompkins County young people are doing. In a majority of areas, we noted improvement from two years ago, but there is always room for further improvement. We hope this report will provide you with some answers about how well our young people are doing and will also spur you to ask yourself, What can I do to make a difference? 94% of youth have never tried smokeless tobacco 2 say parents did not attend a school function or conference in the past year 46% of youth who used alcohol got it from parents or relatives 85% of students say it s not okay to cheat at school 39% of girls report feeling sad or depressed most days 33% have done something dangerous on a dare 83% participated in clubs or activities in the past year 98% of middle schoolers have never tried marijuana 8 like neighborhood 2 of high schoolers think they d be seen as cool if they used marijuana 85% could go to a parent for help with a personal problem 86% say parents ask if they ve done homework 52% have people in neighborhood who encourage them 89% of youth say families have clear rules 95% say school offers many options to be in clubs and activities 9 of youth say parents keep track of whereabouts This report compares responses of Tompkins youth with those of national peers when national data are available. Survey results are used in each district and at the county level to guide school and community efforts to improve outcomes for youth. See notes on P. 5 for definitions. The Tompkins County Survey Report lists all questions and combined answers of all students. The Report is on file with Tompkins County Youth Services Dept. and TST BOCES. Each school superintendent and building principal has a copy of district/building results. The survey was a joint effort of the Community Coalition for Healthy Youth, TST BOCES, Alcohol & Drug Council of Tompkins County, Tompkins County Youth Services Department, and Dryden, Groton, Ithaca, Lansing, Newfield, and Trumansburg school districts and New Roots Charter School. We thank the principals and superintendents for support and participation in the survey and the students who took the time and effort to share experiences with us.

2 2 RISK AND PROTECTIVE FACTOR FRAMEWORK To prevent a problem from happening, we need to identify the factors that increase the risk of that problem developing and then find ways to reduce the risks. Just as eating a high-fat diet is a risk factor for heart disease and getting regular exercise is a protective factor for heart disease, there are characteristics of the community, school, family, peer groups and individual youth that can help protect youth (protective factors), or put them at risk (risk factors) for drug use and other problem behaviors including delinquency, teen pregnancy, violence, and school drop-out. The survey and this report examine data in each domain (family, school, community, individual/peer) to see where Tompkins youth are doing well and where there is room for improvement. Only one risk area in Tompkins County was higher than the national norm in, Community Transitions and Mobility. (In, two areas were higher than the national norm.) More details are found inside this report and at FAMILY All risk and protective factors are better than the national norm. All improved since. Most Tompkins youth say parents value and involve them in family life. Their parents provide clear expectations, monitor behavior, and encourage and praise them. Youth with opportunities to participate meaningfully in the responsibilities and activities of caring families that set clear expectations are less likely to engage in negative behaviors. Tompkins Students and Families Scores in the Family domain are consistently strong, showing that overall, Tompkins youth have healthy bonds to family. Though these connections weaken as students get older, even in 12th grade, a majority report that they feel close to parents, enjoy spending time with them, and could go to them if they needed help. By late high school, however, a majority of youth report poor parental supervision, lack of follow through on family rules, and low parental disapproval of substance use. Here s what Tompkins youth say about relationships with parents: Impact of Parents Disapproval on Youth 30-day Use % 52% 6% 48% Parents disapprove Parents don't disapprove 37% 2% 2% 28% Alcohol Marijuana Cigarettes Prescription Parental disapproval reduces the likelihood that young people will use alcohol, marijuana, or other drugs. 88% enjoy spending time with mother 85% feel close to mother How Parent Involvement at School Impacts Youth Outcomes 82% enjoy spending time with father Yes No 79% say parents give them many chances to do fun things with them 74% feel close to father 72% say parents often say they re proud of something they ve done 71% report parents involve them before family decisions affecting them are made Parental involvement at school decreases as students get older. 87% of 7th graders report that parents had met with someone at school or attended a school function in the past year; by 12th grade only 79% report parental participation at school. Like school 5 29% Get mostly A s & B s 88% 7 Alcohol use 12% 2 Marijuana use 9% 17% Cigarette use 2% 6% Sad/depressed most days 27% Parental involvement at school has positive impacts at school and in other areas of a young person s life.

3 SCHOOL All risk and protective factors are better than the national norm. A majority of Tompkins youth say that they have opportunities to be a part of important activities at school and are rewarded for contributions. A majority also report a high commitment to school and that they are meeting academic expectations. When young people like school, participate meaningfully in activities, and are recognized for hard work and achievement, they are less likely to engage in drug use and other problem behaviors. Tompkins Students School Life 3 In, students reported these positives and these areas for improvement 96% of students report getting C s or better in school of students say school rules are fairly enforced 86% say they feel safe at school say the school notifies parents when they ve done something well 86% have many chances to talk 1-on-1 with teachers 37% report that students treat each other with respect 84% usually try to do best work at school 26% say they often/almost always hate being in school 71% 54% 53% report that teachers notice when they re doing a good job and let them know about it have lots of chances to decide things like class rules and activities have an adult at school who can help them with problems 25% have been called names or experienced verbal putdowns at school in the past month 23% say courses are dull 11% of high school students say they have been high or drunk at school in the past year COMMUNITY Although the three highest (worst) risk factors are in this domain, all improved since. A majority of Tompkins youth say there are many opportunities to be involved in community activities. However, they report frequent transitions and moves, contributing to a low sense of attachment to neighborhoods and low levels of recognition by neighbors when they do well. When young people have opportunities for positive participation in community and the community supports and recognizes them for involvement, youth are less likely to engage in substance use or other problem behaviors. Tompkins Students and Community From 8th grade on, Tompkins youth are less likely than national peers to say neighbors support and encourage them. Ease of Access to Substances M.S. H.S. Alcohol 15% 43% Cigarettes 12% 29% Marijuana 12% 49% Perceived drug availability has decreased since for both middle and high schoolers and is lower than national peers. Perceived drug availability is highest for 11th & 12th grade; nearly half of high schoolers say it would be easy to get marijuana if they wanted. Other findings about Tompkins youth and community: How Caring Community Adults Impact Youth Has caring commun. adult No caring commun. adult 10 89% 79% 8 54% Reported 30-day use 36% 38% 22% 16% 2 11% 13% 8% 86% feel safe in neighborhood 74% would miss neighborhood if they had to move 14% of high school students have changed homes 5 or more times since kindergarten Youth who have community adults who care about them and recognize efforts do better in school and life.

4 4 INDIVIDUAL/PEER Most risk and protective factors are better than the national norm. A majority of Tompkins youth are socially competent and have positive relationships with peers. They also have clear beliefs about what is right and wrong. Tompkins youth are less likely to attend regular religious services than national peers. Participation in positive school and community activities helps provide protection for young people. These opportunities also build social skills, including skills to resist negative influences. The influence of peers increases as youth get older, positive peers lead to more strengths in youth while negative peers can have the opposite effect. Substance Use Tompkins Students and Peers (Details, Page 5) Alcohol remains the substance most commonly used by Tompkins youth. Use rates for all grades decreased since, mirroring the national trend. 11% of local high schoolers report binge drinking in the previous two weeks. The second most commonly used substance is marijuana; Tompkins 12th graders report higher use rates than national peers. We also analyzed reported use of opioids by local youth. Overall use of both prescription pain killers (not prescribed by a doctor) and heroin decreased since ; however, use of both substances by local 12th graders is higher than for national peers though rates are still low. (See chart, below left, showing 12th grade use rates. Heroin rates are below 1% for grades 7-11; for prescription pain killers, rates go from below 1% for grades 7-8 to 3% for 11th.) Peer Influence Past 30-Day Opioid Use by 12th Graders 1.1% Heroin Tompkins 0.2% National Being involved with peers who use either alcohol or marijuana greatly increases the likelihood that a young person will also use. Also, having friends who use increases a young person s incidence of being sad or depressed and reduces positive connections at school. (See chart, above right) Students who used alcohol most often got it from a friend (49%). Participation in Extracurricular Activities either at school or in the community in the past year. Participation improves outcomes for youth as shown in chart, below left. 3.5% 1.7% Prescr. Pain Killer 83% of Tompkins students say they participated in activities or clubs sponsored 75% participated in sports, either at school or in the community. Mental Health For the first time since, rates decreased for students who reported feeling sad or depressed. Impact of Involvement in Extracurriculars or Sports Participated Reported 30-day use 14% 18% 18% 1 28% Didn't participate 43% 48% 22% 87% 10 Mental Health M.S. H.S. Sometimes I think life isn t worth it 21% 27% At times I think I m no good at all 31% 36% I think I m a failure 18% 23% In the past year I felt sad or depressed most days 8 2 Impact of Peer Substance Use No friends use Reported 30-day use 35% 2% 22% 42% 2+ friends use 56% 29% 28% 31% Nationally, 29% of high school students report feeling sad or hopeless almost every day for the past 2 weeks. 88% 76%

5 APPENDIX T O M P K I N S C O U N T Y T I M E T R E N D S : C U R R E N T ( P A S T D A Y ) S U B S T A N C E U S E B Y G R A D E 5 Alcohol 5 Marijuana Cigarettes 14% 12% 1 8% 6% 4% 2% Mirroring the national trend, Tompkins youth alcohol use decreased from to for all grades. Use by area 12th graders is slightly higher than national peers. Cigarette use by Tompkins youth is well below national peer rates. Use dropped for all grades except 9th which showed a small increase. Prescription Drugs 14% 12% 1 8% 6% 4% 2% While marijuana use rates by local 12th graders is higher than national peers, rates decreased for most grades since. Use increases significantly after 8th grade. Non-medical use of prescription drugs dropped from to for all grades. 12th grade use rates are now below national rates. T O M P K I N S C O U N T Y T I M E T R E N D S : A G E O F F I R S T U S E ( G R A D E S ) Alcohol Marijuana Cigarettes Onset of drug use before age 15 is a consistent predictor of drug abuse, and a later age of first drug use has been shown to predict lower drug involvement. Age of first use for Tompkins youth has remained fairly steady for marijuana and has increased slightly for alcohol and cigarettes since. Notes: National (Nat l): Refers to the Monitoring the Future survey given annually to a national sample of 50,000 students in grades 8, 10, and 12. Exception: national youth depression comparison is from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System, a survey of students in grades 9-12, conducted annually by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. Current Use: Use within the past 30 days. Regular Use: Cigarettes: smoke one or more packs per week; Alcohol: one or more alcoholic drinks nearly every day; Marijuana: not specified. Prescription Drugs: Use of prescription pain killers, sedatives, tranquilizers, and/or stimulants without a doctor s instructions to take them. Participating Schools: Dryden Middle and High School; Groton Middle and High School; Ithaca s Boynton and DeWitt Middle Schools, Lehman Alternative Community School and Ithaca High School; Lansing Middle and High School; Newfield Middle and High School, Trumansburg Middle and High School; New Roots Charter School. MS refers to students in grades 7 and 8; HS refers to students in grades Research references are drawn from Pride Surveys, Communities that Care, Monitoring the Future, and Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System.

6 TOMPKINS STUDENTS PERCEPTION OF PARENTAL DISAPPROVAL OF SUBSTANCE USE BY GRADE Alcohol Cigarettes Marijuana Prescription Drugs Students who believe parents would disapprove if they used substances are significantly less likely to use than young people whose parents do not disapprove. In families where parents are tolerant of children s substance use, young people have increased risk of use. Perceived parental disapproval is above 9 for all grades for alcohol, cigarettes, and prescription drugs. However, disapproval of marijuana use dips below 9 starting in 10th grade and drops to 77% in 12th grade. Since, perceived parental disapproval of marijuana use decreased for grades 10 and 12. TOMPKINS STUDENTS PERCEPTION OF FRIENDS DISAPPROVAL OF SUBSTANCE USE BY GRADE Alcohol Cigarettes Marijuana Prescription Drugs Peer drug use has consistently been found to be among the strongest predictors of substance use among youth. Even when young people come from well-managed families and do not experience other risk factors, spending time with friends who use drugs greatly increases the risk of this problem developing. Since, more students in all grades say friends would disapprove of alcohol use. For all grades but 7th, students also report higher peer disapproval of cigarette use. Peer disapproval of marijuana use increased for four grades (7,8,10,11) but decreased for 12th grade with only 41% saying friends would disapprove of marijuana use. TOMPKINS STUDENTS PERCEPTION OF HARM* FROM REGULAR SUBSTANCE USE BY GRADE Alcohol Cigarettes Marijuana Prescription Drugs When drugs are perceived as less harmful, the likelihood of use increases. On the other hand, when perceived risk of harm is high, reported use is low. Students in all grades reported cigarettes as the most harmful substance, followed by prescription drugs. Perception of harm remains high for both of these substances through high school. Perception of harm from regular alcohol use dips slightly from 7th (84%) to 12th (75%) grade. In contrast, perception of harm from regular marijuana use plummets after 8th grade. By 12th grade, only 44% of students believe regular marijuana use is harmful. *Moderate or great harm from regular use For more information contact the Community Coalition for Healthy Youth c/o Tompkins County Youth Services Dept., 320 W. ML King Jr. (State) St., Ithaca, NY (607) or